The Phoenix Suns today announced that the team has signed free agent forward Thaddeus Young.
“Thad is a highly respected veteran player who makes us a better team in our pursuit of winning an NBA Championship,” said James Jones, Suns president of basketball operations and general manager. “Thad is extremely intelligent and plays with a competitive intensity. His size and defensive abilities add versatility to our roster.”
Young (6’-8”, 225 pounds) ranks third among active NBA players with 1,162 career games played, trailing only LeBron James and Chris Paul, and fourth among active players with 1,607 career steals, trailing only Paul, James and Russell Westbrook. Winner of the 2020-21 NBA Hustle Award, which honors the player that makes the energy and effort plays to help his team win, Young also ranks seventh among active players with 2,279 career offensive rebounds and is one of just 36 players in NBA history to total at least 1,600 career steals.
Currently in his 17th year in the NBA, Young averaged 5.0 points on 62.1% shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 15.2 minutes over 23 games with the Raptors this season. The 35-year-old holds career averages of 12.2 points on 50.3% shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 1,162 games with Philadelphia, Minnesota, Brooklyn, Indiana, Chicago, San Antonio and Toronto. Young has also appeared in 57 career playoff games (33 starts) across nine trips to the postseason, averaging 9.5 points on 46.8% shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals. The 12th overall pick by the 76ers in the 2007 NBA Draft, Young played his first seven seasons in Philadelphia, earning All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2007-08.